


Transcendence

by hanamattsun



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Blood and Gore, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Psychological Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, i'm not really sure how i came up with this but here it is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 17:02:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8021953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanamattsun/pseuds/hanamattsun
Summary: It one day, Oikawa's world shatters into pieces, only for the pieces to piece themselves into a world where he seeks solace for years. Living a normal life as a rising volleyball player by day, and the heir to a kingdom by life, Oikawa lives to realities in his head, until one day, he comes across someone.He's not supposed to exist in real life.





	Transcendence

**Author's Note:**

> This is my submission for Haikyuu Big Bang 2016, and it sure was a tough and fulfilling ride, as I actually managed to get myself to start writing fics again. Thank you to Mona, my artist for producing such an incredible work for this story (http://theartisserie.tumblr.com/post/150106189237/my-piece-based-on-hajislays-fic-for-this-years) , and for giving me constant support and ideas throughout the story. Also a thank you to the mods for being patient with my submission.
> 
> A song I listened throughout the fic is this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8riMIlpYsA) , please feel free to listen to this while you read to capture the mood.
> 
> Thank you and I hope you enjoy reading!

* * *

 

The dreams first came to him after the accident.

 

He remembered lying on the hard white mattress, my little chubby hands gripping the handrails as the doctors tried to inject him with something. He was screaming hoarsely and the nurses at the side were trying to soothe him. He was in the midst of an emotional breakdown, and after the events of the day he had finally reached his breaking point. The air was cold and smelled of medicine and too much floor cleaner. It did not help to soothe him at all.

 

_ It’s ok dear, calm down, we’re just going to give you something and put you to sleep alright? _

 

_ Sir, his blood levels are decreasing rapidly. _

 

_ Someone, hold down his leg down- avoid his calf, yeah there,  where it’s not wounded. _

 

_ It’s gonna be alright dear, okay? Just take deep breaths and calm down. _

 

Images of shattered glass, leather tearing from the once pristine seats, and blood splattered across the dash board came to him, and he started breathing harder. The smell of something acrid burning. His seatbelt is still strapped to him like a trap, and he can’t bring myself to press the button at the side and get out of the car. He turns to the side and sees his sister slumped over the seat, her eyes wide open. The cold blast of winter coming in through the broken windows and stinging the new bleeding gaps on his face. Faces flashed across my mind, and the tears started to flow, as he choked back sobs, my throat becoming increasingly drier by the second. 

 

 _Mom. Dad. Sis._ _Where are they?_

 

He turned my head over to the side, no longer facing the glaring lights of the ceiling. The curls of my hair was being pushed away, a nurse dabbing some soaked cotton over his hairline. The violent pain in his leg had now eased to a dull throb, but when he glanced at it, the skin on his knee was flayed open and marred, crusty patches of blood patching his entire calf. He let the tears roll down his face, and the nurses started to rub his forearm in circles, silently murmuring words he could no longer hear.

 

_ That’s the Oikawa’s little boy. They live down the road from where I am. I can’t believe this... _

 

_ He’s too young to go through this... _

 

It was then when he noticed the bed next to him, which was surrounded by yet another group of people, yet they were a lot less calmer. One of the nurses shifted, and that’s when he saw him.

 

The boy looked about his age, he was lying down and the bed much too big for his small stature. His hair was splayed across the blanket, slightly long and inky black, and his arms were at the side. He was wearing a white singlet and shorts, he couldn’t help but notice that the rims of his shirt were stained red, and his arms full of scrapes and bruises, marring the young skin he had. He was injured too. He shifted a little, and suddenly he found a pair of green eyes staring back into his. 

 

They were dull, the colour faded as it bored into mine. A lifeless pair of eyes meeting another. He glanced over him, and seemed to be realising the fact that they were both in the same predicament. All his emotion. He was sad, lonely and scared. 

 

Seeing someone who felt the same way he did, made the little boy feel a lot less alone. His arms stopped flailing, and he rested them on the side of the bed, reaching out towards him, to this stranger, the only person he felt as if I knew in this foreign place.

 

_ Patient needs a blood transfusion immediately. Please sedate him now. _

 

He felt a small prick on my arm, and the grip of the nurses on him lessened, and eventually they let go. After a few seconds, his vision blurred, and he started to panic, never wanting to let him out of his sight. As he started to close my eyes, his bed was being wheeled out.  _ Don’t go,  _ he wanted to cry, but before I could the blackness shrouded his vision.

 

The darkness seemed to go on for ages. He simply drifted, his body lightweight, weighing almost nothing. During that period, he felt nothing. No pain. No emotions. He was in eternal sleep.

 

A few happy moments drift to him slowly. His parents handing him a volleyball for his seventh birthday. His sister picking him up on her shoulders, and he reached out to pluck the blooms from the tree in their backyard. The slow savouring taste of his mother’s cooking. The colours are warm, his memories are accompanied by a vignette he doesn’t remember being there, and thousands of colours floating around. 

 

They die down, and he descends into the darkness again.

 

Slowly, the first few images came to him, and he woke up, in another world.

 

He don’t remember what he dreamt of the first few times. They were all a hazy blur of his childhood, only certain images coming to him, and eventually the sound of nature lulling him back to the haze and back to reality. It was only when he got older, that the dreams became more vivid- and much more realistic.

 

Flying through the woods, the thundering of hooves beneath him. He often had to look at the reins suddenly in his hands, and what he was sitting on, the smooth white hair of a grand horse, his feet firmly hooked under the stirrups. The clink of his straps of his boots against the stirrups. Something long and heavy hung at his side, right, his sword, as they galloped through the woods. 

 

That’s how it always started. He’s caught up in something he doesn’t know.

 

He thinks he has a name, the horse, but he can’t remember. He’s completely white, hair and all and he’s absolutely beautiful and regal. The wind is hitting his face, and it’s gotten a lot colder. The trees which used to be a luscious green have become a fierce orange, yellow and browned leaves dusting the canopy. The leaves fly up as they gallop past, making little storms on the ground. He doesn’t remember this place, yet he knows his way, from the way he steers his horse.

 

For some reason, he feels hostile suddenly. The air of the forest becomes a little quiet, as if in anticipation of something. Then, the silent galloping of hooves other than my horses’. He suddenly get it- he’s _ being chased. _ He doesn’t have the time to adjust to this new scenario. The reins hang limply in my hands and he’s not quite sure what to do, until the horse neighs loudly, snorting through it’s nose.  It starts to go faster and his grip on the reins tighten, steering the horse again.

 

He reaches the breach of the woods, and the sun hits them suddenly, as he struggles to adjust his sight to the sudden bright surroundings. The ground beneath their feet was now grassy, a large field. He was always riding back to the point at the end of the curve of the hills, where something huge and tall stood. The castle. He glimpsed a tall turret, the grey battlements and then-

 

“You’re awfully slow today you know.”

 

A deep, rich voice enters his ears, and his shoulders stiffen even more. The sound of hooves pounding on the ground behind him gets a little louder, until he can feel another horse next to his. For some reason, he can’t bring himself to turn to his side. He’s racking his brain, trying to remember. 

 

He looks straight ahead, and it’s in full view. The castle stands tall over the top of the hill, looking over the royal city down below. It is grey, and their flags hang across the exterior of the building facade. The stark turquoise stands out against the dull gray. As they ( _ They? Who is he? Do I-)  _ reach closer to the castle, they see, dozens of guards, protecting the castle and its precincts. They ride all the way to the back gate, crossing the drawbridge and into the stables. 

 

The horses have stopped, and are sauntering back and forth, and the person next to him slides off his horse and walks up to his. He’s shaking on the inside, he doesn’t know-

 

“Need a hand, Shittykawa?” he says, and he doesn’t even have to look at him to know he’s smirking.

 

He decides to turn then, and he’s met again, by those deep green eyes, he’s gotten used to now, that he’s grown to know and love. He knows now, where he is. He doesn’t take his hand, but slides off his horse, and puts his hands on his hips haughtily.

 

“Of course not, Iwa-chan.”

 

He’s at home.   
  


* * *

  
Oikawa springs awake, his entire body sweaty, his hands shaking. He allows himself a moment to collect himself, and then gets up in the pitch darkness and walks to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face, brushing his teeth. He pulls out his phone.

 

It’s 4.14am. He won’t bother with the hair gel for now. He drinks a glass of water, and puts the grounds in his coffee maker.

 

He quietly pads back to his room with a steaming mug in his hand, even though nobody at home. He switches on his desk lamp, and opens his laptop, getting out his notes and pens. He studies for and hour and a half, until almost all the daylight had filtered through his curtains. His phone starts to buzz, and he switches it off. He pulls on his sweats and running shoes, gathering his keys and wallet and heads out of the house.

 

_ The canal is dry today,  _ he notes, as he runs past. The morning is starting to break into the night sky, shades of purple and slight pink start to tint the horizon. There are a few others who are also running as early as him. He sees the jerseys of several schools on some of them. As they run past each other, they make a slight nod of acknowledgement. Oikawa is a renowned player enough to be recognised by fellow athletes, be it whether they play the same sport or not.

 

Oikawa doesn’t just run to keep himself in shape. It’s a ritual he’s slowly practised over the years. It helps him to ease himself back into reality, away from where he lives half a life.

 

He makes a few rounds, and then he runs back to his apartment, slowing to a jog when he turns around the end and into the carpark.

 

By the time he gets back into the apartment, daylight is already filtering in through the white curtains, and the apartment looks much brighter and less gloomier.

 

He takes a shower, eats some breakfast, and then he’s changing into some jeans and a button up short-sleeved red shirt. He gets his backpack, and duffel with his jersey, shorts and other sport essentials, and then he’s heading out the door and locking it behind him. 

 

Oikawa hasn’t quite been the same since he was seven. A collision with another car on an icy road one December morning took his entire family away from him. His grandma, her house towards they were heading that day, was all that was left of his immediate family.

 

His grandma told him he was in a coma for a week, before he woke up. Till this day, Oikawa can’t really believe that, he remembers the hospital, he remembers struggling before he was sedated.

 

The death of his family is not all that plagues him though.

 

He’s convinced that it was because he was unable to manage his family’s death and the abandonment at such a young age, that his mind developed for him a coping mechanism.

 

Every night, he wakes up in a different world.

 

A world so different from the real, where everything is perfect, his family is not dead, he is loved and he is strong.

 

The dreams are so real, it’s almost as if he’s been transported to another world. And when he wakes up he feels pain, as if he’s been severed away from something.

 

Over the years, he’s learned to cope with the pain of falling into the other world and falling out of it, and having to wake up to the harsh reality of his life. He dreads going to sleep every night, but once he does, it’s like a drug, that lulls him into a haze of positive feelings, that will be abruptly cut off when he wakes up.

 

Seijou. That it’s what it’s called. The kingdom.  _ His  _ kingdom. Nestled in between a mountain range, completely protected and formidable to the outside world. A few towns scattered across the land, and higher up, the castle where the rulers live, where he lives.

 

His father and mother are the current rulers on the throne, the king and queen. His sister in next in line, followed by him. The Prince of Seijou. 

 

As Oikawa gets off the bus and slowly walks towards the campus, his mask comes on the moment he sees the cute girl he met in his Chemistry class last week.

 

“Oikawa-kun! Good morning!” she says, waving as she walks up to him. He gives her the smile he’s perfected to give to every girl.

 

“Good morning, Miwa-chan, how are you feeling today?” he says in his casual charm, and listens as she gushes to him about her weekend, and how he should join her friends next weekend.

 

Oikawa can feel the stares on him by students on the campus. In one week, he’s already made a ripple in the waters of the student body. Oikawa Tooru, volleyball superstar in their college? He was never able to bring his team to the Nationals, but the sheer power he provided to his almost formidable high school team is common news among the youth and professionals alike. Oikawa’s volleyball career did not just make news in Miyagi, but on national news as well. It also became widespread knowledge among his high school that he turned down offers to universities in Tokyo. In short, he’s a sporting legend in the prefecture, and a rising star in the country.

 

The guys gawk, and the girls swoon. Oikawa is used to this reaction since high school, but the moment more girls start to join Miwa and him he has to excuse himself before his face betrays him and shows irritation.

 

“Thank you for your company, but i’m going to be late to class, see you around ladies!” he says, even though his class only begins in half an hour. He walks away quickly, the sounds of the girls squealing at having spoken to the famous Oikawa Tooru, and probably Miwa’s boasting fades out, and soon he’s turned to the stairwell. He pushes open the swinging door and starts to ascend the flight of stairs to where his lecture theatre is. There’s nobody in the stairwell, and the tall glass windows allow for a well-lit space. Oikawa is again lost in his thoughts.

 

His fabrication of an alternate reality due to his inability to cope with the grief he experienced from his family’s death- has resulted him in being unable to seamlessly adjust between what’s real and what’s not. The patches to all the holes not sewing themselves back together, but coming together to form a new quilt, a layer to shield a seven year old from experiencing intense loss. He still blames himself, for becoming weak and succumbing to his mind.

 

He’s searched for his diagnosis online. Schizophrenia? Multiple-Personality Disorder, excessive daydreaming, internal brain damage, anything that could have links to what he had, but he never came across any article, andy diagnosis or any experience like his. 

 

Once he was old enough, he went to see psychiatrists himself. Half of them told him there was nothing wrong, others gave him Prozac. It didn’t work. They only served to nullify the alternate reality, and he only woke up feeling more detached than ever. Oikawa had to force himself to throw away the medicine before he destroyed himself.

 

And that’s what scares him the most, the fact that he’s grown so attached to his alternate reality that even if he wanted to, he cannot bring himself to leave.

 

It’s not easy leaving your home after all.

 

\-----

 

It’s 4.30pm, and training started at 4pm. Oikawa casually walks to the college’s volleyball facility, duffel and backpack with him. He tries to keep a straight face as he opens the door to the gymnasium and instantly every single face turns to look at him like he’s covered in gold. As he walks inside, the whispers start.

 

_ “So Oikawa Tooru really did join Miyagi Uni…” _

 

_ “I can’t believe he rejected Tokyo!” _

 

_ “Are we actually going to play together with this guy?” _

 

Oikawa’s learned from experience, it’s never good to add cocky around your seniors when you’re the junior. He heads towards the coach and bows respectfully. Coach Ukai personally came down to his high school to hand him the brochures for Miyagi University’s sporting scholarship, thus Oikawa is familiar with the coach. A formal national player himself, Ukai’s career ended when he sustained a serious leg injury. Needless to say, he is a well-known and respected coach. 

 

“Oikawa-kun, good to see you here in Miyagi Uni again. We’ll be rounding up all the players now,” he says, before blowing on the whistle 3 times. The players stop tossing and spiking, and run up to the side of the court. Oikawa joins them. 

 

“Welcome back to the new year. It’d good to see many new members here today. We also have many good and experienced players with us, and I hope you will share you knowledge and expertise around with the rest, and bring prestige to Miyagi Uni Volleyball,” he says, to which the boys let out an affirmative yes in response.

 

“We’re going to start right away with practice matches, since I already know your positions, and rookies from the preliminary trainings,” he says as he unfolds his arms and picks his clipboard up from the bench.

 

“We have three teams for today. Team A and Team C will have a match first,” he says.

 

“Right. Team A. Libero. Watari. Setter, Oikawa. Wing spikers…” he lists off the rest of the names, and they excuse themselves from the group and walk over to the court.

 

“Ah so you must be Oikawa? I’m Hanamaki Takahiro, nice to meet’cha,” a boy with hair the colour of strawberry milk says to him, extending his hand. Oikawa gives him a smile and shakes his hand. They do so with the rest of the team, before starting their warm up stretches. Oikawa finds his team pleasant and easy to play with, as the start tossing practices on their side of the court.

 

The other team arrives on the other side of the court and begins their warmup. The boys are busy chit-chatting but Oikawa watches the players closely. They all have good power, jumping and speed, as expected of Miyagi.

 

“This is college level after all...I’ll be playing with people on the same level as me,” he thinks to himself.

 

“Oi, isn’t there one person short on Team C,” Hanamaki suddenly says, almost startling Oikawa.

 

“True, I noticed as well… are they short on players?” Oikawa wonders aloud.

 

“No, I noticed one of them heading towards the changing rooms just now. Must be him,” voices out Fukunaga, another wing spiker on their team.

 

They murmur in understanding and continue they lax conversation. Pretty soon the coach blows the whistle and they head to the court, as the rest stand on the sidelines and watch.

 

It’s the first game between the freshman for the start of the year, and everyone can’t wait to see what new talent arrives to Miyagi Uni this year. The team appoints Oikawa as the temporary captain, and he goes over to the side of the net to flip the coin. It lands heads- Team A starts first.

 

Oikawa grasps the firm volleyball in his hand and strides to the back, and immediately the hall goes so quiet, the only sounds audible are the squeak of fidgeting shoes on the court. Oikawa grasps the ball firmly in his two hands, and takes a stance. He clears his head, and focuses on the other end of the court. The other team seems to be at full strength now, he sees the arm of an extra player beside the image of Hanamaki.

 

Oikawa’s gaze shifts back to the centre, and then he exhales. He tosses the ball up in the air and starts running, as the players on the bleacher start to cheer. He’s lifts himself up and he’s in the air, and his arm swings, palm meeting the ball on what feels light, but delivers extreme power. The ball flies over the net at full force, and Team C’s members attempt to dive to block the ball from reaching the ground. 

 

It’s futile, Oikawa thinks, as the ball whizzes past them at incredible speed, and slams onto the ground so hard the players are visibly shaken.

 

“A-Amazing…” Fukunaga says, looking at Oikawa in absolute awe, cheers erupting from the bleachers and Team A scores their first point.

 

“This is the power of Oikawa Tooru,” murmurs people excitedly, as his teammates congratulate him on scoring them their first point. Oikawa can only beam in genuine sincerity. He’s off to a good start. The coach nods at Oikawa in acknowledgement, but signals for them to quickly continue on.

 

They’re playing at full force now, and the game has gotten intense. Cheers break out at every point scored and so do many excited whispers. It’s only the first match, and Oikawa knows that Miyagi has a strong batch of freshmen this year.

 

Oikawa’s now up front, and Haiba, a tall and platinum haired first year is serving. The ball flies over the net, just barely, and Hanamaki dives to save it. The ball goes up and  Hanamaki spikes it over. Terushima from Team C saves it and it’s being spiked back. Oikawa’s leaping, hands up, eyes following the ball, and his gaze shifts and-

 

He’s staring at a blank face. The player’s in mid air, calves up in the air mid-jump, and the balls travelling towards him. His arms are raised, ready to spike. And his green eyes are staring right back at Oikawa’s own brown ones.

 

It’s probably only a little over half a second, but it feels like an eternity. Oikawa’s brain is blank, and then, his mind starts to shatter under the weight of years of memories, all of them filtering out thousands of times he’s seen this face. His eyes probably go a little wider and his mouth is starting to tremble.

 

_ You...you’re not supposed to be here. _

 

_ You’re not supposed to be real. _

 

The ball flies right past the two of them, and lands at the side of the court. They’re all on the ground now, and everyone’s just looking at the two of them. Oikawa can roughly hear Hanamaki saying something to him beside him, but it is drowned out by the loud buzzing in his head. He’s only looking down.

 

The line between reality and dreams has just been shattered for Oikawa, because standing on the other side of the net, is his best friend.

 

Iwaizumi Hajime.

 

Soldier of the Royal Army of Seijou.

 

Oikawa’s perfect facade has shattered to pieces, and he doesn’t know what to do, he has so many questions but he’s so afraid now, of his mind, his-

 

His mind.

 

Is this an illusion? Is this what happens when he can’t control it anymore? Is it leaking into the real world?

 

He looks up again and he’s still staring at him, his piercing green eyes drilling right through him in a dumbstruck expression, while his teammates are shaking his shoulder and asking him what’s wrong. The number on his jersey is one no one else is wearing on the court. Same height, same body structure, same tan skin, same hair, yet he looks so out of place wearing training clothes on a Seijou native, so completely wrong and out of time.

 

_ It’s me. My head. It’s making this all up. _

 

He walks over to the bench where the coach is now standing and staring at him.

 

“Coach, I’m not feeling well. I don’t think I will be able to participate in the match without injuring myself. Please sub me out,” he says, head bowed in apology. Everyone is staring at him in surprise.

 

Ukai is surprised, but he can’t say no to a player saying he’s unwell. He nods, and calls another player from Team B. Oikawa removes his vest and hands it to the next player. They hi-five, and then he’s walking to the lockers, 

 

Oikawa doesn’t know how long he’s been running for, but he doesn’t stop until he reaches his apartment building, and then he collapses against the pillar, heaving, soaked with sweat, unable to believe he just walked out of practice like that. His mind is blank and his heart's still beating too fast. 

 

He’s never been this afraid in his entire life.

 

He takes the elevator up and walks to his door, putting the key in the lock and turning it, before pushing open the door. He drops his things on the ground, and then goes straight for the shower.

 

* * *

 

 

_ “Ehh! Iwa-chan! Wait for me!” _

 

_ “Hurry up! Or i’ll leave you behind!” _

 

_ “Okay wait i’m coming now!” _

 

_ He’s finished tying on the laces to his brown boots, he grabs his satchel and slings around his waist and gets up, coming out the door to the outside of the hall where Iwa-chan’s waiting, and quietly shuts the large wooden door so that nobody hears them. _

 

_ Iwa-chan grins at him and starts walking, and that makes Oikawa smile wide. _

 

_ “Where are we going today?” _

 

_ “We’re going outside the castle!” _

 

_ Oikawa gasps. “B-but Papa says I can’t go out of the castle!” _

 

_ Iwa-chan rolls his eyes at him. “Of course you can. I do it all the time.” _

 

_ “That’s because you follow the chef to pick mushrooms and I can’t do that,” Oikawa says with a pout on his face. _

 

_ “Papa says it’s not safe outside,” he says, his eyes lowering, and little lashes framing his flushed cheeks. “There’s monsters and bad people that will hurt us, that’ll take me away from everyone.” _

 

_ Iwa-chan stops walking then, and turns to look at him with a serious face. “Don’t worry about that, i’m here to protect you. I’m going to be a soldier one day you know!” he says, thumping his small fist against his linen shirt. _

 

_ “And just in case the bad guys come for you, you can use this to catch them,” he says, then handing Oikawa his net he used to catch bugs. _

 

_ Oikawa slowly reaches his hand out for the net and takes it, and he’s beaming now. _

 

_ “Okay!” _

 

_ Oikawa can already tell that they’re not actually allowed to go out, and Iwa-chan’s trying to secretly sneak the two of them out. They’re in the kitchen, and the morning staff have gone home, leaving only the head chef and janitor in the dining table meant for the servants in the castle. They’re playing cards and drinking. _

 

_ As the boys walk past, the chef looks up. _

 

_ “Oh if it isn’t the little youngins! How are you doing boys? Looking for a snack?” he says, pulling the toothpick he was chewing out of his mouth. _

 

_ “It’s alright Takada-san! I came to take some buns from you just now after lunch,” Iwaizumi said, patting his satchel. _

 

_ “Oh right I remember, have fun you both!” he says, before returning his attention the the cards. Iwaizumi and Oikawa wave, as the pull open the door that led to the stables. They quickly walk past, coming outside, where there’s a small training area for the horses barricaded by fences. Oikawa’s only ever come here accompanied by his parents or the servants. Iwaizumi goes to the tall iron gates, and turns the latch, opening it. There’s a tunnel lit by several torches fixed on the walls, and they can see light at the end. _

 

_ “Come on Oikawa I’ll be right with you,” Iwa-chan says, as the begin to walk through the tunnel. The tunnel turns out to be actually quite short, and soon they’re already at the end. As Oikawa steps out, he’s met by a strong gust of wind, and then he looks to see a vast field of green. _

 

_ “This...is…” _

 

_ “Yeah, we’re outside the castle. This is the outer perimeter,” Iwa-chan says. _

 

_ “How come there are no guards?” Oikawa asks, looking around the wall for anybody. _

 

_ “They’re all either eating or sleeping, it’s the afternoon afterall, come on let’s go,” Iwa-chan says, leading him outside. _

 

_ Oikawa’s never felt more free. The castle premises are huge, but after living in it for so long Oikawa has gotten so used to it he’s grown tired. The fields seem endless to him, as they climb up. _

 

_ It feels as if they’ve been walking forever, and every time Oikawa turns back, the image of the castle gets even smaller, and he’s starting to feel anxious. _

 

_ “Iwa-chan are we going too far?” _

 

_ “No, don’t worry we’re almost there.” _

 

_ As they walk, Oikawa begins to see a big tree in the middle of the field, and he realises Iwa-chan’s heading for there. The tree is very large, and is the only tree of it’s size in the area. It’s massive branches twists and spreads out wide enough for Oikawa to understand it’s size from a distance. _

 

_ As soon as they reach there, Iwa-chan sits on the grass under the shade of the canopy of the tree, and leans against the tree trunk. Oikawa plops down next to him, and gets out his water bottle, taking a few sips before passing it to Iwa-chan. _

 

_ “Father says this tree is the only one standing from the war years ago, when the enemy launched canons and knocked down all the trees. This whole place outside the castle was once a battlefield,” Iwa-chan explains to Oikawa. _

 

_ “I read it in the books… the enemies, where did they come from?” _

 

_ Iwa-chan turns around and motions Oikawa to look behind. In the distance, they can see, the end of the field, and the start of The Forest. _

 

_ “That’s The Forest. They crossed the mountains and came through there,” Iwa-chan says, pointing.  _

 

_ They watch the ominous forest in silence, as Oikawa swings around the net Iwa-chan gave him a little. The wind starts to blow a little more strongly and the leaves on the tree rustle. _

 

_ “When we finally get our own horses, we’ll definitely go further. We’ll go into there,” Iwa-chan says. _

 

_ “You mean, The Forest? But it looks so scary,” Oikawa protests. _

 

_ “You can’t be scared all the time dummy. It only looks like that from here. I bet it’s pretty nice once we go inside. We’ll get to see deers, rabbits, birds and lots of animals. We can also see the rivers and waterfalls that come down from the mountain,” Iwa-chan says, with a small smile on his face. Oikawa watches his face as he talks, the corner of his mouth turned upward, as he waves his arms in the air describing. _

 

_ “It does sound nice,” Oikawa says, savouring the rare moment where Iwa-chan is happy, and not fixed with a stern face and hardened eyes, that came with his father training him for the military. _

 

_ Iwa-chan takes out the buns he was given to by the chef, and hands one to Oikawa. Oikawa takes a bite to find some red bean paste as filling inside. They both sit quietly, watching the forest and they chewed down on the buns. _

 

_ That’s when someone comes out of the forest. _

 

_ Oikawa drops his bun on the ground in surprise. Iwa-chan looks at him, but Oikawa can only point, his jaw open. Iwa-chan looks, and his eyes widen. _

 

_ “Nobody….nobody is allowed there other than the soldiers. Maybe it’s one of them!” Iwa-chan says, but Oikawa can see, he isn’t sure. _

 

_ The man, he appears to have olive hair, and he’s dressed in a linen shirt with a cape around his shoulders, long beige slacks tucked into boots, and a satchel around his waist. He’s looking around, and then he catches sight of the two of them, and he’s staring. _

 

_ His eyes are burning through Oikawa, and Oikawa doesn’t like it at all. His face is cold and unwelcoming. He then draws something from his back. A bow and arrow. A purple arrow. _

 

_ Iwa-chan drops his bun then too. He’s gathering his satchel, and stuffing Oikawa’s to him.  _

 

_ “Oikawa.  _ **_Run_ ** _ ,” he yells. The two boys stand up from the tree, and they’re running back to the castle, and fast as their thin legs can carry them. Oikawa wants to ask why and who he is but Iwa-chan’s face is deadly serious. Adrenaline and fear is racing through the both of them, as they struggle to reach the castle. Whoever that man is, he’s dangerous. _

 

_ That’s when they hear the sound of hooves behind them. _

 

_ Oikawa turns around, and he sees the same man riding a horse, and charging right for them. _

 

_ Iwa-chan is screaming now. “Oikawa run back as fast as you can!” _

 

_ “Huh? What about you?” _

 

_ “I’ll deal with him!” _

 

_ “No way! I’m not leaving you!” _

 

_ “Just go!” _

 

_ Before Oikawa can even reply the thundering of hooves is as loud as ever, and he’s caught up to them, making a round around them before they can go anywhere. Oikawa looks ahead, the castle a few hundred metres away from them. _

 

_ “Who are you?” Iwa-chan says defensively, hands in his satchel, keeping close to Oikawa. _

 

_ A malicious grin forms on the man’s face. “Why so defensive kid? I’ve just got a few questions,” he says, still not getting down from the horse. _

 

_ “Don’t come near us! And we won’t answer your questions!” Iwa-chan says lowly and angrily, standing in front of Oikawa. _

 

_ “Iwa-chan… who is he,” Oikawa quietly asks. _

 

_ “His arrow… it’s purple. He’s from Sh-” before Iwa-chan can finish, the man’s goes around in his horse, and snatches Oikawa up from the ground before Iwa-chan can react. They both scream, and the man rests a knife on Oikawa’s skin. _

 

_ “If you both don’t shut up, I’ll kill the Prince,” he says viciously. _

 

_ Iwa-chan’s eyes are wide in terror. He’s recognised Oikawa and captured him. Oikawa eyes are starting to brim over, and his hands, which are clenched in fists and on his lap, are shaking. He can see Iwa-chan’s eyes smouldering in burning anger and despair, and Oikawa can’t do anything with a blade being pressed to his neck. _

_ “Now, I’m going to take this kid back, and you-” he says, pointing at Iwa-chan, “better go back and tell them I have the Prince,” he says with a smirk. He puts his feet back in the stirrup, and with one arm around Oikawa and holding the reins he gallops off. _

 

_ Oikawa turns behind to look at Iwa-chan’s torn expression, but from behind Iwa-chan, he can see an approaching figure. _

 

_ Someone on horseback. _

 

_ They’re approaching faster, so fast that once they’re actually closer Oikawa can see- it’s a soldier from Seijou. _

 

_ Oikawa sees him galloping past Iwaizumi and going at top speed, charging for the the kidnapper and him. The kidnapper realises he’s being pursued. _

 

_ “Shit,” he curses out loud, and whips the rein, going even faster. It’s a full-speed chase and Oikawa’s starting to feel sick in his position, his head spinning. They’re going right in the direction of the forest, and Oikawa is afraid the kidnapper will get away with him. _

 

_ Then the soldier catches up. He draws out his sword, and slashes the attackers back. He screams, dropping the knife onto Oikawa’s lap. Oikawa uncurls his fists, picking up the knife and hurling it to the side as hard as he could. The kidnapper screams at him, but his hands have loosened themselves on the reins. The horse is still galloping. Oikawa, not knowing what to do, grabs the reins with both of his hands, mimicking what he saw the soldiers doing before and pulling as hard as he could. _

 

_ The horse neighs loudly, and eventually slows to a stop. Oikawa jumps off the horse and tumbles onto the grass on the side of the body, painfully. He forces himself to get up, and sees that his kidnapper is holding a second knife and facing up the soldier, though Oikawa can tell from the soldier’s expression he has no chance. _

 

_ “Ouji-sama, please run back with Iwaizumi-kun to the castle as fast as you can. I will deal with him,” he said, still holding his sword in hand. _

 

_ Oikawa nods tearfully and runs as fast as he can, back to the castle and back to Iwa-chan. _

 

_ He’s running and when he goes up the hill to the tree he sees Iwa-chan waiting, and in tears. _

 

_ “Oikawa!” he says, and Oikawa bursts into tears, flinging himself at him and a sobbing mess. _

 

_ “I’m so sorry...it’s all my fault,” Iwa-chan say, and Oikawa can hear the grudging disappointment he had in himself. _

 

_ “Let’s...let’s go home,” he said, taking his hand, and leading them away from the tree. _

 

_ \--- _

 

_ Kawashima throws the man onto the ground, as the entire court looks on in silence. Oikawa’s father and mother sit upon the throne, and the Heads of the Royal Army, and the ministers of the court sit and watch the proceedings. _

 

_ “Kawashima, I’d like to thank you for being alert during your watch, and rescuing my son,” Oikawa Teiji says, bowing his head, his wife following suit. Kawashima bows once, and steps away from the middle of the room, and two guards stand by the shackled perpetrator. _

 

_ “Tell me,” boomed King Teiji, “What were you doing in Seijou, and why did you kidnap my son,” he finished, steel eyes glaring holes onto the man’s head. His skin is marred and bruised, and Oikawa already knows, they’ve tortured him for information in the dungeons already. If he is being questioned by the king.... that is the last resort. If he refuses again, the next is execution. _

 

_ He kneels on the ground, his head lowered, and he does not say anything.  _

 

_ “Answer me!” the King booms again, and Oikawa flinches at his father using such a tone. He looks at his sister and she has a grave face on. _

 

_ The guards tighten his shackles and he hisses a little. _

 

_ “I am nothing but a soldier, sworn by oath not to utter a single word,” he, glancing up and looking at the King with nothing but hatred and resentment in his eyes. _

 

_ “So be it. Take him away guards,” says the King, dismissing his hand. The guards raise the man to his feet roughly and carry him away from the courtroom. The hearing is adjourned, and just as everyone is about to leave, the kidnapper turns around and yells, loud and clear for all to hear. _

 

_ “All Hail Shiratorizawa!” he spits, and everyone draws in a breath. One of the guards kick him in the ribs and he groans in pain. _

 

_ The entire room is visibly shaken. _

 

_ “Father…” Oikawa’s sister, Touka says, her face as hard as steel.  _

 

_ “Do not worry children. All is well as long as I’m here,” he says softly, but the creases on his face have seemed to increase ten-fold in the last minute. _

 

_ “ General Iwaizumi!” he calls, and Iwa-chan’s father walks up. _

 

_ “Call for war council tonight,” he says grimly. He nods and walks away, out of the room. _

 

_ Oikawa meets Iwa-chan’s face, following his father out of the room. He turns and sees Oikawa looking, and Oikawa has never seen a more determined face on Iwa-chan.  _

 

_ He’s fueled, by a new fire that has started to burn around the room. _

 

_ \--- _

 

_ Oikawa visits his father in his office later that day. _

 

_ “Papa, it’s me,” he says after knocking on the door. _

 

_ “Come in son,” he says and Oikawa walks in to be greeted with the sight of messy papers everywhere, and his father wearing his reading glasses. _

 

_ “What are you doing Papa?” Oikawa asks, surveying the mess. _

 

_ “Gathering intel, information, old records, anything we had on Shiratorizawa from hundreds of years before,” he says, sorting through papers. _

 

_ “Yes. We went to war with them 300 years ago, and we’ve never heard the name around here...until now,” he says gravely. _

 

_ Oikawa can only stare at the  yellowed pages and thick dusty books around the room. _

 

_ “Papa. May I ask you something?” _

 

_ “Yes, Tooru?” _

 

_ “Let me join the army.” _

 

* * *

 

 

Oikawa’s been standing under the shower for a long time, and he finally turns the tap off, getting a towel and drying himself off, before stepping out of the shower stall and tying the towel around his waist.

 

He pads down the out of the bathroom and into his room. Instead of changing he just lies down on the bed, his damp hair soaking through the pillow covers. The sound of construction outside is muffled through the closed window, and the entire apartment is otherwise quiet.

 

There’s only one logical explanation to his current dilemma. The boy in his volleyball team is the one he saw years ago in the hospital. Oikawa knows that Iwaizumi was fabricated in his mind because of him. Therefore, Oikawa’s head has fucked him up, and now, he has to deal with the repercussions of meeting someone who he fabricated inside his alternate reality.

 

What he doesn’t understand is the man’s reaction to him. If it was Oikawa who was the one with the alternate reality, why did he look so shocked? The ball was tossed to him yet when he saw Oikawa, he didn’t serve, as if he was as shocked as Oikawa. It couldn’t be possible that he recognised Oikawa, what went on between the two of them only existed in Oikawa’s head, and nowhere else.

 

Has Oikawa met him somewhere before, or had memories with this person in real life that he can’t remember? 

 

_ I’m confusing everything now, what I need is rest...and answers after,  _ he thinks to himself.

 

_ I’m finding him tomorrow. _

 

Contrary to his decision Oikawa doesn’t sleep a wink at all during the night. He got a few minutes of shut eye, but his mind simply drifted in blankness.

 

The dreams did not come this time.

 

It’s not a common occurrence, but it’s frequency increased over the years. Oikawa would undergo sleepless nights when his dreams did not happen, he suspected it to the be stress and overwork from moving on to higher grades, but simply, when he couldn’t dream he would not sleep.

 

Oikawa is bitter, but he knew he probably wouldn’t have found any answers in the dream anyway.

 

_ Iwaizumi isn’t real _ , he tells himself.  _ Seijou isn’t real, you’ve made this all up in your head. _

 

He’s still repeating these words to himself on the way to school the next day, during his lectures, during lunch, and on his way to volleyball practice, over and over. It’s the only rationality he can feed his brain for now.

 

He comes to practice fifteen minutes early and there are already a few people practicing in the gym. He goes over to the locker rooms connected by a door and hallway in the gym, and starts changing into his training attire. He runs into Hanamaki and another ebony-haired boy with thick eyebrows.

 

“Hey, Oikawa! How are you feeling today?” Hanamaki says, waving at him, as Oikawa smiles at him and dumps his duffel on the bench.

 

“Feeling a lot better today, Hanamaki-kun,” he says, holding up three fingers with a smile.

 

“Oh by the way, this is my friend from my History class. He’s in volleyball too,” Hanamaki says, gesturing towards the ebony-haired boy, who stood slightly shorter than his strawberry comrade.

 

“Matsukawa Issei. Pleasure to meet you,” he says, extending a hand.

 

“Oikawa Tooru, the pleasure is mine too. Let’s work together,” he says, shaking the extended hand. 

 

They’re making small talk, when from the corner of his eyes, Oikawa notices  _ him  _ entering the locker room. He glances at Oikawa and noticeably stiffens, and this just confuses him even more.

 

_ You can’t let this opportunity go now. _

 

“I’ll be changing now, see you guys on the court later,” Oikawa says, and the two boys nod and leave.

 

He’s alone with Iwaizumi- _ that is NOT his name get it together _ and another member now, and Oikawa quickly changes. He can see Iwaizumi already picking up his water bottle and leaving the room, and he quickly stuffs his things in the locker, and catches up to him.

 

“I-” before he can even get a word out Iwaizumi has left the room, and he’s appalled.

 

“Wait!” he shouts, and it echoes down the hallway. He can’t pretend not to notice him now. He slowly turns around, with a straight face.

 

“Yes?” he says, and Oikawa feels like the wind has been knocked out of him.

 

They sound exactly the same. That deep baritone that he’s grown so fond of and used to in the last few years. It’s unmistakably the same. 

 

“I-um...what’s...your name?” he all but manages to choke out.

 

There’s a silence. It was probably only a few seconds, but in that dim grey hallway with just the two of them it felt like an eternity.

And then he speaks.

 

“Why would I tell you?” he says, and then he walks off again, and Oikawa has never been more shocked than he did at that moment.

 

And it’s turning into irritation. 

 

“Hey wait? What?” he says, and at that moment a member comes out of the locker room, and out of desperation, Oikawa turns to him. 

 

“Hey, you! Do you know his name?” he asks, pointing at the retreating figure, who has now turned around to glare at him.

 

“Oh, that’s-”

 

“Don’t tell him!” he yells, the sound resounding across the hallway, and the two of them flinch. The boy from the locker room looks at the two of them with a weird look on his face.

 

“Well, okay…” he says, walking past Oikawa and towards Iwaizumi, before heading out of the door. Iwaizumi follows suit.

 

Oikawa’s absolutely flabbergasted.

 

He’s walking out now, and going straight for the coach’s bench. He sights his clipboard on the bench, and picks it up, flipping through the pages until he finds a name list. He’s scanning, he doesn’t know what exactly he’s finding for, but he’s going through it alphabetically now.

 

“I...Ii…” he says, eye scanning the names, and then he settles on one.

 

It’s there.

 

In print.

 

And not in his head.

 

“Iwaizumi Hajime. Year 1. Wing Spiker. High school…” Oikawa’s not even reading anymore. 

 

It’s him.

 

And he’s real.

 

\---

 

It’s the end of practice and Oikawa walks up to him again. He’s not even trying to escape anymore, and he looks resigned, and actually tired.

 

Oikawa doesn’t really know what to say, or how to begin, but before he can even say something Iwa-ch-  _ Iwaizumi  _ speaks first.

 

“Can we go someplace else? To talk about...this.”

 

Oikawa nods.

 

Everyone’s headed for the showers and so do they. Oikawa’s changed up and has gathered his bag, walking out of the showers and into the gym, and he sees Iwaizumi, standing by the entrance and looking at his phone.

 

“Hey,” he calls softly to him and he looks up from his phone and nods.

 

“Let’s go. I was thinking the coffee place on campus, if that’s okay with you.”

 

“Sure.”

 

The 10 minute walk there is a very awkward and silent one, and neither of them say anything to each other. Oikawa feels like he should speak up, but he’s getting a closed-off vibe from Iwaizumi.

 

They reach the coffee place, and in five minutes, they’re seated at a table in the back, with two steaming mugs of coffee, a black one for Iwaizumi and Oikawa has a hot white mocha drink.

 

They’re still not saying anything, and Oikawa’s just looking down at his coffee. He decides to speak up and looks up, and he sees Iwaizumi looking right at him. He flushes under his piercing gaze.

 

“I was scared,” he says.

 

Before Oikawa can say anything he continues. “I was scared when i moved here, and heard about you from my team members, in my last year of high school.”

 

“I didn’t believe it. I looked you up. And it was true. You existed.”

 

Oikawa is so confused.

 

“Who are you?” he asks Iwaizumi, and Iwaizumi takes a sip from his coffee, and puts the mug down.

 

“That’s my question to you too.”

 

“So does this mean...you’re not actually saying…” Oikawa trails off, a very twisted possibility suddenly occurring to him, and hitting him hard.

 

“Every single night, I see you. Ever since I was little. I grew up with you, but in my sleep...and I’m guessing you experienced that too.”

 

Oikawa’s just staring at him, what was left of his security and inner world crumbling to pieces.

 

“I thought...I thought I had made it up. My head. You’re not supposed to be real and here, you’re supposed to be in my mind,” he stammers.

 

“And that is what i thought too. Honestly, I had more time to take this in than you did. I’ve heard of you since last year. I never thought we would go to the same university and club though. I never wanted to run into you. But I guess fate has it’s ways.” he says.

 

“What do you mean...you never ever wanted to meet me?” Oikawa says, his voice cracking. Iwaizumi here’s his voice shake, and he looks up quickly.

 

“You’re...you’re my best friend? Aren’t you,  _ Iwa-chan? _ ”

 

There’s silence, as they both stare at each other.

 

“How can you even...believe that’s real?”

 

What?

 

“It’s a reality that’s been made up in our heads. We are friends in that world because of its circumstances. However, we are not here. I literally just met you. I don’t know anything about what your family is like here, you life your school, anything-”

 

“They’re dead.”

 

“What?” Iwaizumi says, his eyes widening.

 

“They died, my family, a long time ago. It’s been 12 years.” Oikawa has a blank face devoid of any emotion, and honestly, it’s scary to look at.

 

“And it was only after that, did the dreams start.”

 

When he looks up at Iwaizumi, his eyes are gazing somewhere, far away and deep in thought.

 

“Do we share the exact same dreams?” Oikawa questions, breaking him out of his spell.

 

“I wouldn’t know, unless we share.”

 

“I did not have any last night,” Oikawa says.

 

“I didn’t sleep last night…” Iwaizumi says, trailing off.

 

“So, if one of us doesn’t sleep...the other doesn’t dream or sleep at all?!” Oikawa says, flabbergasted.

 

“I guess…?” Iwaizumi says, looking equally as riddled.

 

“Seijou. Your dreams are in Seijou right? The castle. The mountains. The Forest. That time when I was captured by Shiratorizawa’s soldier?”

 

“Yes. I dreamt of all of that. The soldier one was when I was nine years old I think…” Iwaizumi says.

 

“So it’s true. We do have the exact same dreams.”

 

They’re left to ponder over that thought. The cafe is quiet now, most of it’s patrons have left except a few people studying in the corners. 

 

“But...how? Why the two of us?” Oikawa says, and Iwaizumi only shakes his head.

 

“I have no idea. I never would have known you had the same problem...all this while, I thought it was just me,” Iwaizumi says, but the way he makes it sound, it’s as if the situation has magnified itself.

 

“If you knew that I was...real, since a year ago, why did that never show in the dreams?” Oikawa asked.

 

“I think you would know the answer to that. Our thoughts and memories of real life, only become a subconscious when we sleep. I think you would have felt that too,” Iwaizumi says, to which Oikawa nods in agreement. 

 

“So now what? Do we become friends? Or do we never acknowledge each other in real life, and only live a life together in our minds?” Oikawa questions.

 

“I don’t know. What do you want?” Iwaizumi asks.

 

Oikawa pauses for a while, and then speaks.

 

“I would like if we were friends. If...by any chance, we ever stopped have these dreams, I would still want you by my side.”

 

Iwaizumi looks stunned.

 

“Reality or dreams, you are my best friend, it doesn’t fucking matter where. If I never met you here, and ever lost you, I would have been broken. And that is the truth Iwa-chan. I’m too attached to Seijou. It’s all I have left of my family, and my peace.”

 

They’re quiet again, and Iwaizumi lifts his mug, and gulps down his coffee. 

 

“I’ll try. We’ll have to try. Living this double life,” he says, finally.

 

Oikawa nods.

 

They leave once they realise it’s gotten late. They wave to each other outside the cafe, and then embark on their own separate ways.

 

Oikawa’s heart feels heavy, and the walk back to his apartment is filled with so many questions he doesn’t know the answer to.

 

He only knows one thing, and that he’s very, very, afraid.

 

He boots up his laptop once he gets home, and starts searching

 

_ common dream _

 

_ people sharing common dream _

 

_ human brains sharing memories _

 

He finds nothing, other than a recommendation to a fantasy novel.  _ It’s a joke,  _ he thinks,  _ this is all some big fat joke and we’re being pranked by people on reality TV.  _

 

It’s absolutely frustrating. He’s caught up in a situation he has no control of, and cannot do anything about.

 

_ I’m just going to sleep now. _

 

It’s such an irony that sleep is the solution to his very problem, he thinks as he climbs into bed. The exhaustion from the day hits him the moment his sore muscle touch the springy mattress and soft pillows, and he falls asleep quickly.

 

* * *

 

 

_ They’re riding again. The horses gallop past the trees that slowly start to thin and fan out, and then they break out of the forest and into the grassy plains, racing towards the castle. _

 

_ The doors slide up as the gallop inside, and they slow down once they reach the stables. They get off their horses, and slowly walk them over to the respective area in the stables. He makes eye contact with Iwa-chan and smiles. Something’s nagging him at the back of his mind, but right now he can only think of sparring with Iwa-chan and the rest later. _

 

_ “Shittykawa, wait for me dumbass,” Iwaizumi says, catching up with him as they both leave the stables. _

 

_ “Iwa-chan, stop being so vulgar,” he complains, tightening the belt around his waist. _

 

_ “Kusokawa.” _

 

_ Oikawa rolls his eyes. _

 

_ “What’s Kuroo and the rest doing now?” Oikawa asks, as they walk to the military training grounds. _

 

_ “Kenma told me they’ve been doing the archery simulation in the training grounds for the past few days with the newer recruits.” _

 

_ “Let’s go check up on them.” _

 

_ They walk through the castle grounds, and approach a large open area between the military facility and administrative building, where the offices of the Royal Administration are. Oikawa finds his sister there, training some new recruits alongside Kuroo. Kenma’s on the ground next to them, reading a book. _

 

_ “Kuroo!” Oikawa calls, and Kuroo looks up and waves. The soldiers immediately stop what they’re doing and salute him. _

 

_ “Ouji-sama! Good day!” they say, their one hand on their head and the other crossed behind their backs. _

 

_ “Now now, no need for such formalities,” Oikawa says, scratching his head sheepishly. _

 

_ “How’s the training going,” he addresses to the sister and Kuroo. _

 

_ “Not bad, they’re pretty okay,” Kuroo drawls, to which Touka frowns. _

 

_ “Ahh Tooru! And no, absolutely not. They’re sloppy at finest. They need much polishing if they ever want to come into battlefield,” she says firmly, drawing an arrow from a basket on the ground. _

 

_ Scary, Oikawa thinks. His sister is highly respected in the military even though she’s not an official member of it. She’s insisted on receiving training even so, with the intention of going out with the military if there’s ever a war. Her specialty is archery, possessing some of the best skills in the military, even a rival to the General, Iwaizumi’s father. _

 

_ The soldiers watch as she lifts the bow and pulls the string. Once she lets go the arrow flies through the air as fast as lightning and hits the bullseye, so hard the board actually loses balance a little. Everyone is in awe, and even Kenma has looked up from his book. Oikawa Touka is truly a force to be reckoned with. _

 

_ “And that,” she addresses the recruits, putting the bow down again, “is what you should shoot like to be worthy of the Seijou military. We don’t have the strongest attack force out of all of the kingdoms from nothing.” _

 

_ He turns to see Iwaizumi looking at Touka with a frown on his face, but quickly clears it once he sees Oikawa looking. He wondered what that was about. _

 

_ “Touka...your sister…” Iwaizumi says all of a sudden, and Oikawa is confused. _

 

_ “Huh? Yes what about....ooh does Iwa-chan have a crush?” Oikawa says with a smirk on his face. _

 

_ Iwaizumi shoots him a glare. “Shut up Shittykawa, I don’t.” _

 

_ Kuroo looks at them. “You guys going to the combat training now?” _

 

_ “Yeah, until dinner,” says Oikawa. _

 

_ “Awesome. Yuu’s in there with the General right now, see if you can go catch him before he leaves,” Kuroo tells them. _

 

_ “Oh, thanks! See you at dinner,” Oikawa says, as they head off to the combat grounds. _

 

_ The combat grounds is another open air space demarcated by the castle buildings, only much larger than the archery area, the size of two football fields, and at the outer edge of the castle. All soldiers spend at least a few hours every single day, training and practicing under the General’s and his superior’s watch. Oikawa and Iwaizumi walk in the open hallways, and soon come to a large wooden door, which they push open. _

 

_ The noise hits them like a wave. There’s at least a hundred soldiers inside, all training in four groups. Hand-to-hand combat, Swordsmanship, Basic physical training and defence strategies. Iwaizumi’s father is nowhere to be seen, and they search the grounds for him.  _

 

_ “Heyyyy! Oikawa! Hajime!” someone yells, and Iwaizumi visibly flinches. Nobody other than their families call them by their names but this guy is special. He runs up to them, his jet black hair sticking up, with a signature blonde tuff in the middle of his face falling over. _

 

_ “Nishinoya,” Iwaizumi acknowledges and Nishinoya beams. _

 

_ “Right on time! We’re beginning hand combat now and the General wants you to demonstrate to the new recruits!” he says excitedly. _

 

_ Iwaizumi nods, his face as cold as a stone. Oikawa can only look at him worriedly. _

 

_ Iwaizumi and his father do not have the best relationship. His father has emphasised nothing but training and even more training to his children ever since young, and they’ve grown up hardened from their father’s high expectations. His father is a man who rarely showed affection openly, and was only visibly smug or happy for his kids when they performed well or showed excellent results. _

 

_ They walk over to the centre of the grounds, where the recruits have gathered, and his father is speaking to them. He looks up, and nods at Iwaizumi and Oikawa, and says nothing else to the two of them. _

 

_ “Now, our Prince and my son are here to demonstrate to you some techniques, and I hope you can follow along and perform them accurately,” he says gruffly. _

 

_ Soon enough Iwaizumi is matched with a new recruit, who towers over him. Iwaizumi isn’t even fazed in the slightest. _

 

_ “Now. Show me what you know in your combat knowledge,” Iwaizumi says. _

 

_ He nods, and starts with a swing of his fist to Iwaizumi’s ribs. _

 

_ “Predictable,” he mutters, and sidesteps, such that he’s behind his opponent now, since he twisted his body. Iwaizumi delivers a blow with his fists, and he topples over to the ground, his tall form but lanky body failing him. _

 

_ Iwaizumi’s not done. He stands over the recruit, and takes his arms around his back roughly, pulling them together and performing a twisting motion, but with no strength so he doesn’t hurt the recruit. _

 

_ “Number one. Never reveal your weak points or vulnerable side to your opponent. You’re only giving them the opportunity. Get up, and let’s try again,” he says to the recruit. _

 

_ Before the recruit can do anything, Iwaizumi’s kicked his ankles, and he trips and falls to the ground, inviting some snickers from the group of recruits. Iwaizumi’s sends them a glare, and they’re silent again. _

 

_ “Number two, don’t wait for your opponent, and number three, always aim for their weak points, where muscles are sensitive. That is, your lower back, sides of your upper body, elbows, knees and ankles. Don’t just go in for a blow, you’re setting yourself up for getting your ass kicked,” he says before turning to the recruit, who’s still on the ground. _

 

_ “I don’t think I even hurt you, don’t just sit on the floor like that. Next,”’ he calls, and the recruits visibly flinch from his harshness. _

 

_ Oikawa’s watching, and he can’t help but watch every move Iwaizumi makes. From the twist of his body, and when he turns his head to talk to the recruits, sweat sliding down his jaw from his sideburns and onto his chin.  _

 

_ Iwa-chan’s...cool. He’s like a character in a book. A strong soldier fighting for his kingdom in a war. _

 

_ “Hajime has gotten strong” a voice next to him says, and he jumps a little, only to see the General standing next to him, hands clasped behind his back. _

 

_ “He has always been strong, Iwaizumi-san,” Oikawa says, nodding. _

 

_ “I am glad my son has a friend like you, Ouji. You provide him the strength he needs, and he will need a lot of that very soon,” he says, and Oikawa turns to him, puzzled. _

 

_ “Why do you say that, Iwaizumi-san?” he questions, a frown on his face. _

 

_ “Ouji-san, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but the storm clouds have been brewing in the distance.” _

 

_ “What do you mean?” _

 

_ “You would have heard from your father. Sightings of Shiratorizawa spies in some parts of Seijou. Reports of multiple crimes of a wide range committed by Shiratorizawa men in the border towns of the kingdom. Then, there was you attempted kidnapping years ago, which first raised the warning flag to us.” _

 

_ “You don’t mean…” _

 

_ “I’m afraid, they will declare war on us soon, Ouji. And if we go to war, and Hajime, I and the military will have to fight for Seijou.” _

 

_ Oikawa is stunned. _

 

_ “That is not all. I am growing old. If i am...out of commission during a battle...then Hajime will take over as General of the Army.” _

 

_ Oikawa’s staring at him, as the old man looks at his son sparring wistfully, and he detects the slightest hint of worry, and even sadness in his eyes. _

 

_ Oikawa looks at Iwaizumi, teaching the recruits, with a hint of a smug smile on the corners of his face. _

 

_ The dream breaks, and he’s catapulted into the darkness again. _

* * *

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 


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